Consumer News

Florida student loan debt relief company banned from doing business in Kansas, ordered to repay more than $39,000 to consumer

Release Date: Feb 08, 2018

TOPEKA – (February 8, 2018) – A student loan debt relief company has been permanently banned from doing business in Kansas and ordered to repay more than $39,000 to a consumer after being found in violation of Kansas consumer protection laws, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said.

Brelvis Consulting, d/b/a The Student Loan Help Center, LLC, of Florida, has been permanently ordered to refrain from conducting business in the state of Kansas. The defendants were also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $39,012.91 to a consumer, as well as pay a civil penalty and reimburse the attorney general’s office for the cost of its investigation. District Judge Larry Hendricks entered the default judgment this week in Shawnee County District Court after the defendants failed to respond to a lawsuit filed by the attorney general’s office in October.

Schmidt had accused Brelvis of soliciting and providing for-cost, “loan consolidation preparation services” to consumers in exchange for a fee which are otherwise free of charge. The defendants, while doing business as The Student Loan Help Center, made misrepresentations through their website in efforts to solicit business from consumers. The U.S. Department of Education offers these services for free to consumers.

The lawsuit also alleged the defendants made false and deceptive statements to consumers denying that other state attorneys general were investigating or had active litigation against the defendants. Florida, Oregon and Washington have active cases against Brelvis.